ProBioGen AG has signed a non-exclusive, multi-product licensing agreement with Novartis for its GlymaxX Antibody Glyco-Engineering technology. Novartis will apply the technology for the manufacture of selected ADCC activity-enhanced (Antibody-Dependent Cell-Mediated Cytotoxicity) antibodies in preclinical and clinical development. Financial terms were not disclosed.

The GlymaxX technology can be applied to both novel and already existing antibody producer cell lines, as well as to entire production platforms, without negatively affecting their productivity, according to the company.

"We are very satisfied that in our continuous business relationship Novartis has tested GlymaxX and, as a consequence, decided to integrate our GlymaxX technology into its own CHO cell line platform. This underlines our technology leadership and our scientific creativity to develop smart and flexible solutions for optimized biopharmaceutical manufacturing," said Volker Sandig, chief scientific officer of ProBioGen. “We are convinced that our GlymaxX technology will help to accelerate the drug development for any disease in which enhanced ADCC activity translates into therapeutic benefit.”